Construction is going on to reduce the muddiness on the
Stile Ranch Trail. There's a trench at the end of the trail and piles
of rocks in the staging area.

We have 2 new members: Sherry Sullivan and Aurora Bell.

Holly said the National Night Out in her neighborhood went
well. There was a good turnout and interest in the neighborhood and 4H.

Mike is trying to get a van for a tour for planning
commissioner Ash Kalra and other officials.

Joe Schultz is leaving to become the director of the Santa
Cruz County Parks.

Jenel said they will be replanting the garden at the BGJ
Ranch. They will be planting amaryllis, lilies, and valerian.

Ranch Spirit Day: the event went well. Ron has a webpage on it. Robin counted more
than 160 people at one point. 4H came at 3:00. Most of the setup was
done quickly. They gave out lots of info. The only problem was they
were downwind from the blacksmith's forge. We thought the area higher
up near the information table would have been a better place for the
stage, but it was limited by the PA system.

2 park commissioners, Dang Khoa Vo and Daniel Murillo, will
be working on the Santa Teresa Master Plan,

The Santa Teresa Community Fest is on Saturday 9/15/07 from
11 to 5. Mike is organizing it. (Ron can't make it this year.) The
tables have to be setup by 10:00 for inspection by the fire marshall.
Mike can't be there to setup. We can use the Easy-Up shades from New
Almaden. Volunteers need to be there to setup at 9:00. Sam can bring
geocaching information. We need to get Santa Teresa Park maps from the
rangers. Last year, Ron got some from John Dorrance, and the Hellyer
rangers brought more later. The maps probably won't have the new trail
on it. (We talked about getting a rubber stamp to put FOSTP contact
information on the maps.) We should pass out copies of the FOSTP flyer.
We can make copies for free at the Neighborhood
Development Center (bring your own paper). Mike requested a table
spot near 4H, STFNA, Paul Bernal, and the County Parks.

Holly: Treasurer's Report: no change. Account balance is
$233.44.

The Bonetti property was broken into. It can't be occupied
until the sewage system is hooked up. In order to hook into the city's
sewer system, the property has to be incorporated into the city, which
takes time. Meanwhile, the BGJ Ranch and probably the Pyzak Ranch are
using septic tanks.

We recommended tearing down the old, decrepit horse stable
buildings on the Bonetti Ranch.

Paul said there's a chain across the service road to the
storage building on the hill above the archery range. He would like to
see that service road turned into a trail, with a return path down to
the Ohlone Trail before the archery range.

There's a sign on the steep volunteer trail off the Joice
Trail above St. Julie's Church. The sign has been removed, but it has
been replaced.

There are fence posts above the Bonetti Ranch below the
Norred Trail. They may be getting ready to install a fence to block the
volunteer trail that drops down from the Norred Trail. This trail was
originally on the plan for the Norred Trail as a connector trail and
may be in the master plan.

Preparations are being made to install a split rail fence
along Manila Drive in place of the wire fence.

The fence along the Bonetti Ranch needs repairing. Drew
Merry says he is waiting for the master plan.

We need to make a list of proposed maintenance projects.

Ron has been in contact with Joel Gartland, Volunteer
Coordinator for the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council, who asked about the
possibility of using the Coyote-Alamitos Canal to connect the Ridge
Trail in Santa Teresa Park to the Coyote Creek Trail. The trail current
dead ends at Coyote Peak. Ron recommended designating the Coyote Peak
and Ohlone Trails (leading to the archery range) as a continuation of
the Ridge Trail. The Coyote Alamitos Canal could be used as a trail
from the end of the archery range to Santa Teresa Blvd. From there, the
Coyote Alamitos Canal could be used to reach the Coyote Creek Trail,
but it has several problems.

Mike talked about providing animal crossings in the Coyote
Valley. A tunnel or a bridge could be used to link Coyote Creek to the
Coyote Valley. This could also be used for a trail.

Kitty talked about the Healthy Trails program. Kathleen
Hooper is organizing it. They designated 21 trails as part of the
program. They classified them as easy, moderate, and difficult. People
can sign up for the program and do 3-4 trails/year. In Santa Teresa,
the Coyote Peak Trail and the Stile Ranch/Fortini Trail are listed.

We talked about new trails. There is an easement to build a
trail to the Lightfoot stables. Mario recommended asking the county to
negotiate with IBM to provide access to the ranch roads in the hills
behind IBM's Silicon Valley Lab on Bailey Road.

Jenel and Holly talked about 4H. They are getting back into
the garden. On 9/22, they will meet with Terri to talk about
replanting. She has bulbs and ferns. Enrollment night at 4H is next
Thursday. They will be having archery, cattle, beef, sheep, and
swine-raising programs. The animals are housed at the Tilton Ranch near
Morgan Hill.

The money for designing the restoration of the old barn at
the BGJ Ranch has been approved, but not the money to implement it.

We talked about the need to restore the buildings at the
Norred Ranch, including the old barn behind the Mounted Ranger Unit,
and the one on the hill by the Norred Trail. We need to make a list of
proposed restoration projects.

Holly said the Coyote Grange is planning a spaghetti feed
fundraiser for 9/20 to benefit the youth grange group. On Oct. 18, at
7:30pm, a speaker from the Pacific Legal Foundation will be coming to
the grange to talk about eminent domain and private liberties.

We'd like to put an interpretive plaque in the park. Mike
wants to see something about the Battle of Santa Teresa. We recommended
putting a plaque on Coyote Peak. We talked about having viewing pipes
aimed at significant landmarks, like the ones they have on Mission
Peak. We need to present a plan to Robin. She can hire someone to
make it. We are shooting for a proposal by December. We can have a
dedication party when the plaque is installed.

Mike talked about our 501c3 application. It's at the lawyer
now. He is charging $250, but it will be divided between 2 other
groups. We can take donations to help pay for it.

Ron and Mike will work on the CAP grant to pay for UNSCC
membership and 501c3 costs.

Adopt-a-Trail: the signs aren't up yet. We are going to
adopt the Norred Trail. Right now, it doesn't need maintenance. There
were complaints about poison oak in the middle of the trail, but Drew
Merry took care of that quickly.

4H needs space for roosters for poultry breeding. It's now
being down in Morgan Hill. It would be nice if they were closer. Jenel
proposed using the old barn behind the Mounted Ranger Unit. It can't be
used now because it doesn't meet fire codes. It would have to be
restored and upgraded.

Holly asked Don Rocha about seeding trails with wildflower
seeds. He said it was OK if the seeds came from plants in the park.

Sam talked about geocaching: A group of about 20 geocachers
are planning to go to Uvas Canyon for Coastal Cleanup Day on 9/15 to
clean it up. Mid-Pen has approved geocaching as a legal activity in the
preserves. They essentially copied the geocaching policy from the Santa
Clara County Parks.

The Guadalupe River Park and Gardens is promoting
geocaching activities in their park. On Friday, Sept. 14 from 3:30 to
5:00 pm, they have an event for kids called "Shiver Me Timbers!"
It involves pirate-themed activities, including a treasure hunt using
GPS's (in other words, geocaching).

Cathy Reinhard is designing interpretive panels for
the Albertson Parkway. 1 will be on the history of the Santa Teresa
area. Another will be on the watershed, which includes the Santa Teresa
Hills. She has been in contact with Ron, Mike, and John Dorrance to get
information. Ron has sent her pictures of the Bear Trees and the Santa
Teresa Hills.

There was article on
rattlesnakes in the Almaden Times and Blossom Valley Times. It
included pictures by Ron of snakes in Santa Teresa Park and Almaden
Quicksilver.

9/8/07 is New Almaden Day in New Almaden, starting at 11:00
am. It will include the annual jump-in parade and a dedication of the
Pat Tillman memorial.